Snacks For The Slopes

Less than one week into Colorado's ski season, University of Colorado senior Kristina Minchow has already been skiing twice.

Minchow, captain of Boulder Freeride, a group of skiers and snowboarders who come together every winter for long days on the slopes (and make up CU's largest student group), said keeping her energy up on the slopes is necessary to lead her teammates and make it through another day on the mountain.

Protein and sugar have become a staple of Minchow's mountain diet, but finding foods that can be smashed into her pockets while skiing can be tricky, she said.

"We usually only take one break collectively, so having food on hand that you can pull out on the lift is really important," Minchow said.

Instead of making peanut butter and honey sandwiches, Minchow recommends making wraps with tortilla shells rather than bread.

"We always have a lot of things with peanut butter in them," Minchow said. "Peanut butter and honey or Nutella sandwiches are easy to make and eat in a hurry."

Cookies, carrots and Power Bars (one of Freeride's sponsors) fill her other pockets, Minchow said, keeping her fueled and warm on cold days.

Minchow said no-bake cookies are the group's favorite pocket-friendly snack for a long day on the slopes.

"They're so good, plus they have a lot of good things in them, like peanut butter, oats and sugar," she said. "They're also really easy to make and it's something that a lot of students probably already have most of the ingredients for, so it's cheap."

Even though they don't take many breaks, Minchow said she always brings something she can warm up in the lodge to keep her comfortable; some of her favorites include ramen noodles, hot chocolate and oatmeal.

"It's important to have something that can be heated up since it can get so cold out there," Minchow said. "It's also a lot cheaper to take your own stuff so you can just grab a 10 cent cup of hot water rather than buying something from the lodge."

Since staying warm is a priority, Minchow said she steers clear of caffeine beyond the occasional morning java.

"Energy drinks constrict blood flow and make you cold, so on the way to the mountain, don't overload on caffeine," she said.

When it comes to hydration, Minchow said she recommends water, water and more water.

"Keep it simple when it comes to drinks," she said. "The food will provide the sugars and energy to keep you going, so you should just stick with water all day."

Minchow said she strays from her water-only pattern to reward herself after a day of snow-packed fun.

"You never want to drink it in the middle of the day, but a cold beer is an awesome treat after a long, exhausting day," she said.